Walk through the lot at KMC Marine in Lighthouse Point
and it won’t take long to absorb the enthusiasm the
Kniskern brothers have for boats. A connection to the
water and boating may be in their DNA.
The brothers – Phil, Rob and Tom Kniskern – grew up
in a Philadelphia suburb, but the family had a summer
place on a bay in New Jersey where they spent summers
and weekends. And there were always boats. Rob
remembers his first boating experience when he was
about 4 years old, on a 25-foot wooden Pacemaker. As

they grew up, they were as comfortable on water as on
land. There were boats of all kinds. There was fishing,
water skiing, sailing, competitive racing. If it was on the

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water, the Kniskerns were likely involved.
“We followed our passion,” is how Phil puts it.
“You’ve got to do what you like,” says Rob.
That passion eventually led them to
Florida and into the boat business after the
family moved to Florida in 1977. By 1988, the
three brothers decided their passion would
be their business and professional lives.
They began a marine supply store and yacht
brokerage. Two years later they started
selling new boats. At
first they sold whatever
they could, because, Phil
says, “we had to pay our
dues” in the business.
When operating
in a competitive
environment, a business
often needs a niche to
succeed, and the Kniskern brothers
set a new goal: to sell and service
high-end center-console boats.
“We’re not about volume; we’re
about quality. And we want to take
care of our customers.”
These days, one of those high-end
boats is a Jupiter that Rob describes
as “versatile” because it’s suited for
fishing, diving, family recreation,
entertaining, or trips to the
Bahamas. Their buyers “appreciate
value and know quality,” Rob says.
Stroll through the lot and you’ll
see boats from 26 to 41 feet. In the
years the brothers have sold and serviced boats they’ve
seen some important changes in design. “Everyone got
away from wooden boats,” Phil explains. “Most use